HOW THE COMMON GARDEN SNAIL IS SPREAD ABOUT.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3006, 25 October 1898, Page 3

HOW THE COMMON GARDEN SNAIL IS SPREAD ABOUT.

Fi'om the Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. + BY WVS. CAMPBELL. This snail ia an introduced pest which is sproading about our suburban gardens very rapidly. A few years ago it was almost unknown, but now it can be found in nearly every garden about Sydney. Frequently when walking into town in the mornings I notice some crawling al>out the city pavements. If everyone who has a garden would muke some effort we might soon get rid of it ; but, alas 1 there are but few who Beem to take much notice of it, and quietly allow their plants t i be destroyed without taking any steps to save them. 1 had occasionally lately to send to a garden for a few cuttings of a fibre plant to show some interested persons who called at the office. A day or two afterwards I discovered a snail on the wall of my room, and there it remains as an example. This caught my eye just now, and it struck me that it might be useful to caution persons in the country who m»y obtain plants or cuttings from Sydney to be on the lookout for snails on the plants or cuttings. Not only by the medium of plants are snails spread, but they are carried about unconsciously by persona on their clothing. One day lately I saw a friend of mine looking into a shop in King-street, Sydney. " What on earth have you got on your collar?" said I. He put up his hand, felt round his collar, and pulled off a big snail. " Well,- 1 never," fiaid he, ** it was only half an hour ago that a friend stopped me in Hunter-street and asked what was that I had on my waistcoat?" Lo and behold, there was a huge Bnail ! " The fact is," he continued, " 1 went down to see the wnter-lilies in the Gardens, and I remained there standing on the grass for a considerable time. These rascals must have crawled up my clothes when 1 was standing there." This is an excellent illustration of the manner in which Bnails are eaaily cairied about from place to place, and it is doubtless the same with many of the innumerable peats which infest our gardens and orchards. I have seen the " False ladybird," that abominable melon and pumpkin pest, carried along for miles in the country in a railwa}'-carriiige.